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Training - What do YAW students
do?
Youth Area Watch students begin the
school year with an orientation to program
guidelines. They meet participants from
different schools and join in multiple
training sessions with scientists and
community members.
Training comes from a variety of local and
government agencies, independent
scientists, community members and village
elders. Some of these trainings take place
on site where samples can be obtained
(e.g. water, invertebrates or weather
data); other trainings occur in agency
facilities (in Seward, Anchorage, Valdez
or Fairbanks) that can accommodate the
entire group.
Throughout the school year, in addition to
collecting and analyzing data, YAW
participants design local restoration
projects within their communities, and
implement skills learned from scientists
and elders. Most of their efforts are put
forth within their local communities,
however YAW students often travel to other
areas within Alaska to present their
findings at conferences or offer
assistance to projects beyond their
locale.
These opportunities allow students
meaningful interaction with scientists in
various fields of research, often opening
doors to future professional or
science-related experiences.
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Most YAW activities can be accomplished
without missing much school. However, some
require that students travel to remote
sites either by small plane or boat.
During these excursions students may miss
several days of school. Students involved
in YAW can expect to miss approximately 8
school days over the course of the school
year.
Involved Agencies:
• Alaska
SeaLife Center (ASLC) -
orientation
• Prince William Sound Science Center (PWSSC) - orientation
• Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS) - orientation
• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) - mussel pristine study
• Alaska Department of Fish &
Game (ADFG) - harborseal bio-sampling
• GWScientific
- meteorlogical data
• U
of A Fairbanks, Sea Air Land Monitoring
Observation Network (SALMON) -
oceanographic data
• Exxon
Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (EVOS
TC) - funding
• North Gulf Coast Oceanic Society
(NGCOS) - killer whale identification
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